If you're not aware of it the government does crop estimates. Its not done solely by satellite, they have teams go out to fields and make spot checks. Now inf

If you're not aware of it the government does crop estimates. Its not done solely by satellite, they have teams go out to fields and make spot checks. Now infrared photography can show crop stress but it can't pinpoint the reason. If they can get these genetics into the seed they can know the impact of drought nationwide. They can also send more scouts to these areas to make an educated guess on how bad the drought might be. Billions of dollars ride on these estimates. Suppliers and farmers can also hedge the price as a sort of insurance.